Community, Meijer donate more than $10K to support food pantry

Gift will aid Ionia County residents who receive food and hygiene items from the pantry

Karen Botakaren.bota@sentinel-standard.com

Zion Community Food Pantry received $10,600 in gift cards June 28 from Meijer in Ionia. The cards can be used by the pantry to purchase what it needs for clients.

The donation is a result of Meijer's Simply Give program, which ran March 10 to May 18. Meijer matched every $10 donation community members made to the food pantry program through Meijer.

In addition, the Ionia Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors, board of directors and some community members had a "friendly competition" to see who could raise more money. Meijer did a double-match on these donations.

The chamber board won, but the real winners are the more than 1,200 Ionia County residents who receive food and hygiene items from the pantry monthly.

The Simply Give program is "more about the community banding together to support Zion," said Scott Flanagan, the Ionia Meijer store manager. "Without them, there wouldn't be much for Meijer to match."

Meijer will run the Simply Give program again through the year, Flanagan said.